The Greencheek Conure, or Green-cheeked Parakeet, is native to west-central and southern Mato Grosso, Brazil, through northern and the highlands of eastern Bolivia to northwestern Argentina. They prefer forest areas, where they form big flocks and can often be seen at treetop level.
Description: The Green-cheeked Conure is primarily green, with a grey breast, dark head, maroon tail and blue flight feathers. Its average weight is about 70 g - but the general weight range of this species is between 60 to 80 grams. The average length (including tail) is 10 inches (25 cm). They reach maturity at 1 to 3 years -- the smaller Conures mature more quickly. In a safe, healthy environment, they can expect to live up to 35 to 40 years.
Personality: The Green Conures have big personalities for such small birds. They have become a favorite in the pet trade because of their sweet personalities and fun disposition. They are playful, affectionate and intelligent. It is said that they are second only to the cockatoos in terms of cuddliness. They like to be held (although some like it more than others) and can learn tricks such as lying on their backs and "kissing." However, individual differences do exist, as some green conures will accept cuddling only on their terms. But these are the exception to the rule. Most seem to thoroughly enjoy cuddling whenever their favorite human is available. They are very active parrots that like to play, explore and chew. Lots of toys are recommended to keep their beaks from "getting busy" on your furniture. Most will hold their own with any of the mid-sized or medium-large parrots in terms of smartness. They are also, like most parrots, very smart and can be taught simple tricks pretty easily and more complicated tricks with some work. Like all parrots, the green cheeks are social birds. They do require daily interaction with their social group, entertainment, things to do -- or else they will become bored and develop behavioral problems. In the wild, they would never leave the company of their flock mates. In a captive pet situation, a hand-fed conure requires the same social interaction from you and your family. If you have little time to give, a parrot would not be a good choice for you. You would need someone at home several hours a day at a minimum; preferably someone should be home most of the day. I would recommend that there be people at home, with the bird, for at least several hours every day or the majority of day. Green cheeks are not considered the best talkers. However, some particularly smart green cheeks learned to talk quite well, according to their owners. The majority of green cheeks say only a few things, and there is no guarantee that they will ever learn to talk. They also have soft and gravelly voices, so even if they try to talk, they may not say anything understandable. But there are also some green cheeks who talk a lot. If you talk to some smart greencheeks in context they often learn to speak in context (i.e. "good night" at night, "bye bye" when you leave for work in the morning, "hello" when they greet you).
It's best to keep your pet conure where the center of activity is, usually the family room, and leave the cage door open or allow your pet to be on a playpen whenever someone is at home. During this time some direct interaction should be provided, such as talking to your pet, petting it, or placing it on your shoulder while you surf the internet, watch TV or go about your other activities. In general, conures make good family pets as long as they have been well socialized. They don't mind a lot of activity - in fact, the more "fun stuff" is going on, the more entertained and happier they tend to be. They usually get along well with all family members, although they are likely to eventually choose a favorite; but as long as they are exposed to, and socialized by, other family members, they should maintain their friendliness with the others. However, they go through nippy phases that can be hard on their owner. The tamest pet bird gets startled and bites - without this being a true reflection on its personality. It's a natural reaction. Experienced pet owners learn to read the body language of their pets and can avoid most of these "accidental encounters." Training is important to prevent an accidental bite from turning into behavioral problems. Some individual parrots are more aggressive than others. Often this is a family trait and one parrot pair produces sweet babies, while others produce nippy offspring. Sweet babies can turn nippy, if not socialized well, and nippy (usually nervous / fearful birds) can be taught to be good family pets. Birds do pick up on stress and anger that we humans may feel and this can impact their personality and likelihood to be aggressive towards us. It is always best to approach a bird calmly and focus on, and enjoy, the interaction with the parrot rather than reflecting on problems in your life. Doing so will actually be conducive to your own health, as it will help you relax.
As Pets: Green-cheeked Conures can be noisy (although less so than other conures). They known for their loud and harsh calls, which is a natural way of communication and social interaction and shouldn't be "trained away" -- however, they can develop into excessive screamers, which really require early intervention. Noise is less of a problem with green cheeks, although their call can be irritating to sensitive ears. They can be prone to biting, particularly when young, but an owner can cure this behavior with patience and time. Behavioral issues can be avoided or minimized with proper handling and socialization. In general present their challenges and they are not the best "starter" birds, although some species are easier to keep than others, as is the case with the green cheek. It is, however, really important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established.
Green-cheeked conures are common pets. They are playful, affectionate and intelligent, known as having a "big personality in a small body". They can learn to talk, albeit with a limited vocabulary and a gravelly voice. They like to be held (although some like it more than others) and can learn tricks such as lying on their backs and "kissing." Along with other Pyrrhura conures, they are only moderately loud, therefore making acceptable pets for apartment dwellers. They can be prone to biting, particularly when young, but an owner can cure this behavior with patience and time. They love fruits, (especially bananas and raisins), and seeds such as sunflower, safflower and hemp seeds; all things found in their natural environments. Green-cheeked conures also love table food; they are flock animals and love to eat with their family.
General care:Conures are fairly easy to care for. Clean his cage often, and his food and water dish. Many conures like to dip their pellets and other foods in their water dish before eating, which means a very dirty water dish. Try moving the water dish to the other side of the cage, and if that doesn't work, try changing to a water bottle. Otherwise, plan on cleaning that dish several times a day. Switch his toys around often, they'll keep him more entertained. Clip those wings; conures are curious birds who get in enough trouble when they *can't* fly, much less when they can. And don't forget to take him out to play everyday!
Feeding: They can eat potatoes, carrots, corn, well cooked meat, bread, pasta, plain popcorn, and even eggs. It is advised not to feed them oil seeds such as sunflower seeds because they are addictive and do not contain the proper nutrition. Sunflower seeds and peanuts contain high amounts of fat. While this is helpful for birds in the wild, a clipped and/or caged bird can develop health problems from eating too much fat. A bird-pellet diet with a calcium supplement will give them the proper nutrition, but should not be used exclusively due to the presence of trace chemical additives and bonding agents not found in the conure's natural habitat. A good rule of thumb is 30% pellet diet, 10% seeds, and the rest being fresh foods- fruits, vegetables, or cooked food. Some conures with health problems related to the kidneys should not be fed pellets. Greencheeks are very similar to the Maroon-bellied Conure (P. frontalis), and can live to 35-40 years.
Housing & Caring: Conures are active and playful birds, who need a large cage to clamber around in. A large cockatiel cage will do for the small conures, but, the others will need a good-sized parrot cage. Be careful where you place those perches; if those long conure tails rub against the bars the tail feathers will become very ragged. Give your conure lots of toys to keep them busy. They like toys they can destroy, but make sure there's no small parts they can swallow or openings where they could catch a claw or beak. Your conure will also appreciate a large playstand, again, equipped with lots of toys.
Breeding / Reproduction: Several beautiful mutations of the green-cheek conure have been bred in aviculture, including the cinnamon, yellow-sided and the pineapple. They reach sexual maturity around one years of age. Many can be sexually mature earlier - but it is not wise to breed them younger than a year.
The average clutch is 4–6 eggs. Average incubation is 24 days, varying from 22 to 25 days.
Sex can not be determined by appearance, unless your Conure lays eggs, otherwise you’ll need to have it DNA tested to be 100% sure.
Green Cheeks are fairly easy to breed. Below are the dimensions of nesting boxes usually used for these type of Conures, however, the dimensions can vary widely, as they are influenced by the owner's and the birds' preferences. The preferences of the breeding birds can also be influenced by the size and type of nest-box / log in which the bird was hatched and reared.
Log / Nest-box: It is suggested use a deeper box, either a bootbox or a vertical grandfather box (18" - 24" deep). Some conures do accept cockatiel-sized boxes, but using a deeper box will reduce the conures' tendency to remove the shavings and lay their eggs on the bare wooden base.
- Length / depth: approx. 16 - 24 inches (400 - 600 mm)
- Log / nest-box internal dimensions approx. 10 inches square (250 mm square)
- Diameter of entrance hole: approx. 3 inches ( ~70 - 80 mm)
- Inspection hole: Can be square or round, approx. 4 inches (100 mm) in diameter.
- A Removable top / lid can be a useful access point for inspections and for cleaning.
- Location and height of log / nest-box: Install in a sheltered part of the aviary at about 5 feet (~1.5 - 1.8 meters) height, but not too close to the roof to cause heat problems in the hotter months.
- Angle of log or nest box: 45 degrees through to vertical. Most boxes are vertical.
- to the bottom of the box to help stabilize the eggs and absorb the droppings from the chicks.
Options for suitable nesting material are decomposed non-toxic saw dust, corn cob, shredded newspaper, clean straw / dried grass or wood shavings (i.e., Aspen shavings or wood chips). The larger wood chips the better, so the parents don't feed it to the babies or the chicks accidentally ingest it.
Please note that some wood shavings - such as pine, cedar and redwood - give off aromatic hydrocarbons (phenols) and acids that are toxic and can cause dermatitis, allergic symptoms and irritation of the digestive tract. They should not be used in cages, aviaries, or nestboxes.
- Incubation: Both hen and cock share in incubating the eggs.
Conures have a habit of removing all the nest box material and laying their eggs on the bare wooden base. Nest inspection is generally not tolerated. If nest inspection is necessary, wait till both parents have left the nest. They can be aggressive and protective of the nest area when breeding.
* Check out the many beautiful Green Cheek mutations, as well as pictures of other types of Conures by visiting my Bird Image Gallery.
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